"Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Blends Sekiro, Belle Époque, and JRPG Elements"

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a highly anticipated turn-based RPG that blends unique real-time mechanics to offer players a deeply immersive experience. Drawing inspiration from the rich heritage of JRPGs, this game promises to captivate fans with its nostalgic yet innovative approach. Dive deeper into the game's inspirations and catch the first character trailer reveal.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Ramping Up Towards Its Release

Building the Heritage of JRPGs

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is not just another game; it's a homage to the classics that shaped the JRPG genre. With its turn-based combat enriched by real-time elements, the game echoes the spirit of beloved titles like Final Fantasy. At the 2025 Game Developers Conference, Expedition 33 Producer François Meurisse shared insights on the game's inspirations with GamesRadar+.

Meurisse revealed that the game draws heavily from Final Fantasy titles, particularly Final Fantasy 10 and earlier PlayStation classics such as Final Fantasy 7, 8, and 9. "Those are big childhood games for Guillaume [Broche], our game director," he noted. "He wanted to capture the essence that he felt would persist in modern Final Fantasy-like games, if they had continued with turn-based mechanics. But he also mixed in a lot of different inspirations. Definitely, Final Fantasy and JRPGs are the preeminent gameplay heritage we have."

While the gameplay is deeply rooted in JRPG traditions, Meurisse emphasized the team's commitment to originality in art style. "We didn't want to simply mimic Japanese games with stylized manga-like or anime-like graphics," he explained. "Instead, we aimed to create an art direction based on our own influences. This led us to the early 20th century Belle Époque inspiration, blended with art deco elements and high fantasy. We iterated several times to find our unique artistic voice, which truly helped us stand out."

Other Inspirations

Beyond JRPGs, Expedition 33 also borrows elements from souls-like games, specifically Sekiro, to enhance its defense mechanics. "The defense system is more inspired by Sekiro and From Software games," Meurisse stated. "It incorporates a rhythmic element and a more real-time component, making it more skill-based."

Additionally, the game integrates mechanics from deckbuilding games into its battle system. "For example, the concept of using action points for skills in battles is more inspired by deckbuilding games than the traditional magic points or mana systems found in RPGs," Meurisse elaborated.

First Character Trailer

As the release date approaches, Expedition 33 is set to introduce its characters weekly. On March 13, the official Twitter (X) account of Expedition 33 unveiled a trailer featuring Gustave, the resourceful and dedicated engineer from Lumière. Gustave is poised to lead Expedition 33 in their mission to stop the Paintress from painting death once more.

The trailer showcases Gustave wielding a sword and pistol as his main combat weapons. In the overworld, he is seen navigating the environment with agility, jumping from one point to another. Combat sequences highlight Gustave's ability to deal significant damage to enemies, utilizing a diverse set of skills. However, specific details about character roles and related mechanics remain unconfirmed by the developers.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is scheduled for release on April 24, 2025, and will be available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Stay tuned for more updates by following our coverage below!